Molding for electric cables



May 8, 19.28.l

F. W. ERICKSON HOLDING Fon ELEQTRIG CABLES Filed April Io. 192s f77-Eem@ v lm Wfl/wam zz Z Patented May 8, 1928.

recaen UNITED STATES PATENT QFFC.

FREDERIC W. ERICKSON, F LARCHMONT, NEW YORK.

HOLDING- FOR ELECTRIC QBLES.

.application sied Aprn- 1o, 192e. serial Na 101,153;

been of the metal armored type.v A very re cently approved type b"of conductor cable however requires no metal armor. "It is relatively inexpensive, being a non-metallic sheathed cable, and includes a plurality of conductor wires (usually two) each enclosed in rubber insulation, the whole surrounded by a tough protective braid, with a suitable filling material between the rubber and the outside braid. This cable is amply flexible to enable it to be bent quite sharply.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a guiding or encasing molding for this type of improved cable, which molding is economical in its 'cost of production, is easy to secure to walls or -ceilings of a building, and which will retain the cable in place without risk of wearing or otherwise injuring the outside braid or any other part of the cable.

With the above object in View, and others hereinafter referred to, the invention con- 0 sists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed;

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a transverse section of the particular type of cable for the holding of which my improvedrnolding is provided.

Figure 2 is a perspective view ofV a portion of a section of the improved molding.

Figure 3 represents a transverse section of the molding and cable, illustrating the method of assembling them.

Figure 4 is asimilar View cable and molding assembled.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of 'a piece showing the r of cap strip which may be employedwhen conditions such as hereinafter der its -use desirable. Figure 6 represents a transverse sect-ion of the cable, molding, "and cap strip.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of my imdescribcd renprovedliexible armor on a piece of cable,

said armor being designed to cooperate with the molding, at times, as illustrated by Fig ure 10.

Figure 8 is a view looking upward from Figure 7. k s

Figure 9 represents a section on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view of the molding mitered to hold the contained cable and armor` yin angular form.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in all of the views.

The cable illustrated by Figure 1, said cable being of the recently approved type hereinbefore described, comprises two wire conductors a each having insulation the two being enclosed in protective braid 0 with Vfiller material d.

The molding is made in sections of suitable length each section being of resilient sheet metal bent to sides l1 rising from a bottom l2 which is convexed toward the interior for three reasons presently described. The 'upper edges of the side walls 11 are bentinward to form beads 13.l About midway between the base corners 14 the bottom. 12 is provided with countersunk holes l for screws to fasten the molding in its desired location.

rllhe reasons for the formation of the bottom 12, curved substantially as illustrated, are first that the corners 14 shall bear properly against the surface to which the molding is secured, second 'providing space for thecountersinks 15 which receive the heads of the attaching screws, and third to contribute to the resilience of the molding as a wholeample lateral resilience being desirable to enable the moldingI to be utilized in the following manner: lVhen the required sections of molding are secured in place, end te end, the cable can be located therein bv a present normally parallelsimple pushing action. As' indicated in Figf ure 3, the cable is pressed against the beads, spreading them and the side walls as illustrated, and further pressure snaps the cable into place where it will be securely retained (Figure 4) by the resilient returning of the walls and beads to normal position.' The edges of lthe beads grip the sheathed cable and hold it in place flatwise. It is to be noted that the beads'are not formed by rollingy the edges of the molding strip into complete tubular form. Instead, said beads, in cross section, are substantially semi-circular, and therefore the edges .of saidbeads, and not rounded surfaces thereof,"V bear against or bite into the cable. The nonmetallic braid sheathing of the cable is sufciently strong and durable to withstand the gripping action of .the edges' of the beads.

The molding is so proportioned, relatively to the cross section of the cable, that the inner surfaces of the side Walls 11`bear against, or are so close to, the sides of the .sheathed cable as to prevent lateral shifting of the cable, and the edges of the beads 13 hold the cable against the convex surface of the bottom 12.

In some locations, or for some purposes where it is desirable to completely conceal the cable, sectionall cap or cover strips 17 may be employed (Figures and 6). Said strips are laterally curved and have curved or bent marginal portions 18 forming channels 19 in the surface which is outermost when the strips are in place. Such a strip can be snapped to position (Fig. 6) by an opera-tion similar to that`which effects posi'- tioning of the cable, and said strip is then the edgeswofathemoldingbeada theY latter extending into the channels 19V. The resilience of the molding, and the resilience of r ggwthe cabie covering itself, coact in permitting this easy location of the cap strip. Bot-h the cable and such a cap strip are held tightly in the relative positions shown in Figure 6. 0f course -the outer surface of the molding, and o the cap strip when the latter '30pm-employed, may be painted or otherwise finished to harmronizg/withsthe architectural interior of the building'or rooms.

To complete installation of the molding and cable it is frequently necessary to provide angular portions such as illustrated by 6 by pressure applied progressively along the strip. f

It will be apparent, upon consideration of Figures 2, 3 and 4, that I have provided a resilient sheet metal molding having a transverse area to snugly embrace a substantially fiat cable having a plurality'of conducting Wires, Said molding having a longitudinal held in placel by the edges 18 extendingnndev Slot or^opening between the inner faces of the beads 13, the width of said slot being such that the cable can be snapped through it to contained position where itwill b e insitantly and automatically retained in position for use. And the molding is one that is low in cost of production and thatu can be quickly secured in such positions as desired along walls or ceilings.mi Y im Y Having now described myv invention; I claimz- 1. A molding for. non-metallic-sheathed Velectric cables, consisting of a strip of resilient sheet metal bent to'provide-a bottom portion and normally parallel side walls spaced toadmit fa duplex-,Conductor cable Figure 10. For this purpose the molding is(` betwelielftlie margin Ofieacllislde Wall mitercd. The operation of mitering'sometimes leaves jagged edges of the metal at the joint. And of course the metal is rather 40 sharp along the inner side of the jointA of the miter.y To protect the cable from abrasion at such joints, or elsewhere when needed, I have provided a flexible armor comprising a short bendable metal stripY 21chaying finbeing bent toward the other side wall and toward the bottom; portion and forming l beads to engage and retain said cable.

2. A molding for a non-metallic-.sheghed electric cable, consisting of a strip of 1.6km Y silient shet' metal bent to provide a bottom portion and-normally,parallel side walls spacedl to admit a duplex-conductor cable gers or ribs 22l extending in oppositeiiree=-b\t}\en thm the bOttOIP POIOII Which 0011- nects said side walls being converedrtowardwY Y tions (Figs. 7 8 and 9) said ribs 'or fingers being bendable from the full .to the dotted line positions indicated inFigure 9, to cause "said ribs o1l fingers to grip the braid cover- 5o ing c of the cable.

qaitgfthir and when attached to the cable it can, with thecable, be sprung or snapped to place in the moldilgseier in a mitered por'- tion of the molding as irrdieatecin Figure 10, or elsewhere. .Andiif more or lesslongitudinal adjustment ofthe cable in the nold;

ing. is required, the armor can be slid along in the molding, with lthe vcable to which it has been attached.' As illustrated by Figure 10,

the cable will be fully protected against wear 'or abrasion in angular mitered portions of the molding.

the interior of the molding and having holes for attachingscrejys, the margin of eachside wall being bent toward the'other side eable-engagingbeads.

3. The combination with a resilient sheet metgl moldinghaving normallyparallel side walls`t`le margihlwpogions of which aref e interior of t e molding FREDERIC w. ERICKSON.

vuo

Y i A This armor as u, wholeriSNwall and toward the bottom portion to form 

